Proprioceptive orthopedic sole comprising modular correction means

ABSTRACT

A modular proprioceptive orthopedic sole for re-establishing and/or preserving the correct dynamics of running or walking. The sole is made of an elastic material, and includes elements ( 1 ) on the upper surface thereof for activating the articular receptors disposed between the astragalus and the calcaneum as soon as a step is habitually initiated by the heel, and elements ( 3,4,5 ) guiding the foot when it becomes engaged on the physiological axis of walking; and on the lower surface thereof at least one removable correction element ( 11,23,13,14 ) which can result in an abduction or adduction when a deficient or too large step occurs and/or which can correct a varus, valgus, supination and/or pronation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention pertains to a proprioceptive orthopedic insole tore-establish and/or preserve the correct dynamics of running or walking,comprising modular means for correcting a varus, valgus, abductionand/or adduction.

In the area of insoles intended to be placed inside shoes, so-calledproprioceptive insoles are known intended to re-establish and/orpreserve the correct dynamics of walking; this is the case for examplein French patent FR 2676918 by the same Registrant. The insole of theinvention comprises means for activating the myo-articular receptorslocated between the talus and the calcaneus as soon as a step ishabitually initiated by the heel, the muscular tonus prompted by thisinitial impulse then being channeled by means guiding the foot over thephysiological axis of walking. For this purpose the insole on its uppersurface particularly comprises a console, having an upper part with astraight section and whose thickness increases from the heel as far asan area located substantially perpendicular to the neck of the talus,and also comprises lateral sub-cuboid and sub-scaphoid compensating andprompting means to counter varus or valgus torsion, and axialmediotarsal means intended to distribute bearing under the metatarsalregions.

The insoles of the prior art which are exclusively intended to makewalking more comfortable are inoperative if there is a major bearingdefect in the three spatial planes, exceeding the proprioceptive actionof the insole, when practicing sport such as running for example. Thisbearing defect causes a varus or supination, valgus or pronation,abduction or adduction of the foot leading to joint, tendon and muscleunbalance, the source of numerous types of pain felt when practicingsport.

In this respect, orthopedic insoles are already known that areparticularly intended for sports use and comprise means for correcting avarus, valgus, abduction or adduction; this is the case for example inAmerican patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,648 describing a modular orthopedicinsole. The insole, made in a resilient material, comprises severalcorrective zones on its upper surface which comprise the loops of afixation device of “Velcro” type (registered trademark) onto which thecorrective elements are attached which are also made in a resilientmaterial and whose undersurface is provided with hooks able to cooperatewith the loops of the correction zones. The various corrective elementsare advantageously referenced by a color code, a number code or a labelwhose properties are recalled in a leaflet enclosed with the insole andenabling the user to position one or more corrective elements on theinsole according to the pain felt when practicing sport.

The corrective elements of this type of orthopedic insole have thedisadvantage of sliding over the upper surface of the insole when theuser is running for example, so that said elements soon becomeineffective. When practicing sport, foot perspiration combined with bodyheat and the shear stresses applied by the foot to the correctiveelements generate the displacement of these elements making theminoperative or even dangerous by causing foot bearing defects which maylead to muscle, tendon or bone trauma.

One of the purposes of the invention is to overcome all thesedisadvantages by proposing a proprioreceptive orthopedic insole tore-establish the correct dynamics of walking or running, which comprisesmodular means for correcting a foot varus, valgus, abduction oradduction.

For this purpose and in accordance with the invention, a modularproprioceptive orthopedic insole is proposed to re-establish and/orpreserve the correct dynamics of walking or running; this insole, madein an elastic material, is remarkable in that firstly, on its uppersurface, it comprises means for activating the articular receptorslocated between the talus and the calcaneus as soon as a step ishabitually initiated by the heel with means for guiding the foot when itbecomes engaged on the physiological axis of walking, and secondly onits undersurface it comprises at least one removable corrective elementable to provide abduction or adduction for respective deficient orexcessive step initiation, and/or is able to correct a varus orsupination and/or valgus or pronation.

It was found, in surprising manner, that the combination of thecorrective elements positioned on the undersurface with the meanspositioned on the upper surface of the insole activating the articularreceptors located between the talus and the calcaneus and guiding thefoot over the physiological axis of walking, provides improvedcorrection of a valgus and/or varus and/or foot abduction and/oradduction while having recourse to corrective elements of narrowthickness thereby reducing the impression of discomfort of theorthopedic insoles of the prior art.

In particularly advantageous manner, the insole comprises on itsundersurface at least one recess positioned along the inner and/or outeredge of said insole, in which the removable corrective element made in amore rigid material than the insole material, and whose shapecorresponds to the shape of the recess, is able to be positioned suchthat the corrective elements remain in place under the insole whenrunning or walking. Also, it will be noted that since the correctiveelements are placed on the undersurface of the insole, they do not comeinto contact with the foot thereby avoiding any plantar skin lesion suchas cuts, blisters, fissures or analogue unlike the insoles of the priorart.

Other advantages and characteristics will become more readily apparentin the following description of various embodiments which are given asnon-restrictive examples of the proprioceptive orthopedic insole of theinvention with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an overhead view of the orthopedic insole of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the orthopedic insole of the invention,

FIG. 3 is an underside view of the orthopedic insole of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view along axis IV-IV of the orthopedic insoleshown FIG. 3,

FIGS. 5 a to 8 a are overhead views of the removable corrective elementsof the orthopedic insole of the invention,

FIGS. 5 b to 8 b are side views of the removable corrective elements ofthe orthopedic insole shown FIGS. 5 a to 8 a,

FIG. 9 is an underside view of a variant of embodiment of thisorthopedic insole of the invention.

For simplification reasons, only one insole of the invention will bedescribed, corresponding to the left foot for example, the right footbeing inferred by symmetry.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper surface of the insolecomprises means for activating the articular receptors located betweenthe talus and the calcaneus as soon as a step is habitually initiated bythe heel and means for guiding the foot when it becomes engaged on thephysiological axis of walking. These means essentially consist of aprofiled channel, called console 1, and a set of profiled elements 3,4,5distributed along the length of the insole to form a rail around whichthe foot is guided.

Console 1 extends longitudinally from the heel as far as the anteriorend of the calcaneus, exactly perpendicular to the neck of the talus.Said console 1 increases in thickness from the heel as far as itsanterior end 2. As a particular example, the height of console 1gradually increases from 1 mm to 2 mm from the heel as far as itsanterior end 2.

The set of profiled elements 3,4,5 from back to front, i.e. from theheel to the tip of the foot, consists of a sub-scaphoid profiled element3, a sub-cuboid profiled element 4 and mediotarsal axial means 5. Thesub-scaphoid profiled element 3 extends the console 1 towards theinterior of the foot, semi-dome fashion. This sub-scaphoid profiledelement 3 in this example has a height of approximately 2mm and therebyextends the anterior end 2 of console 1. The sub-cuboid profiled element4, from an overhead view as in FIG. 1, is in the form of a kidney beanglobally corresponding to the projection of the shape of the cuboid overthe insole. This element 4 is positioned on the outer side of thesub-scaphoid element 3, its convexity facing backwardly at approximately45° to the median longitudinal axis of the insole. The thickness of saidelement 4 increases from side to center and from rear to front andgradually reaches a height of around 4 mm. The mediotarsal means 5 havean obovate shape, i.e. roughly in the shape of a water drop, wideningforwardly and ending just before the metatarsal heads of the foot. Thismediotarsal element 5 is convex; its height varies longitudinally from aheight of 2.5 mm to reach a maximum height in the order of 3.5 mm, atapproximately two thirds of its length.

It will be noted that, when a step is taken, console 1 activates thecalcaneus whether the foot is flat or arched, to prepare the remainderof the step under proper conditions; then the sub-scaphoid 3 and/orsub-cuboid 4 profiled elements, which act as side stabilizers for thefoot, prompt the foot to remain within the physiological rail of walkingand the mediotarsal element 5 prepares the final digitigrade phase ofthe step by distributing foot bearing under the metatarsal regions sothat this bearing remains channeled along the axis of the secondmetatarsal through which the physiological axis of walking passes.

In addition, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the insole on itsundersurface comprises recesses 7,8,9 and 10 positioned along the innerand outer edge of the said insole and in which removable correctiveelements 11, 12, 13 and 14 of shape corresponding to the shape of therecess are able to be positioned. The insole comprises a first recess 7called an anti-abduction recess of substantially rectangular shapepositioned along the inner edge of the insole and extending from theplantar arch as far as the great toe. The section of the anti-abductionrecess 7, with reference to FIG. 3, increases from the inner edge of theinsole in the direction of the median part of the insole over a shortdistance and then decreases. Also, with reference to FIG. 4, the wall ofthe anti-abduction recess 7 is inclined inwardly towards the inside ofsaid recess 7 from its bottom part as far as the edge of said recess,i.e. as far as the undersurface of the insole so as to form a lip 15 onthe edge of recess 7. This anti-abduction recess 7 is able to house anabduction corrective element 11 shown FIGS. 5 a and 5 b whose shapecorresponds to the shape of the anti-abduction recess 7, i.e. ofglobally rectangular shape. This abduction corrective element 11 on itsperiphery comprises a chamfer 16 so that the lip 15 on the periphery ofrecess 7 maintains the removable element in place within said recess 7.

Evidently the edge of the abduction corrective element 11 which isadjacent to the inner edge of the insole when said element 11 isinserted inside anti-abduction recess 7 does not have a chamfer 16.

Also, the abduction corrective element 11 is made in a more rigid anddenser material than the insole material and it is inserted into recess7 by elastic deformation of lip 15. It will be noted that the particularshape of recess 7 and of the corresponding corrective element 11prevents any undue displacement and also any egress of the saidcorrective element when walking or running. In addition, it will beobserved that the corrective element does not come into contact with thefoot, thereby avoiding any plantar skin lesion such as cuts, blisters,fissures or analog.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the insole also comprises a secondrecess, called an anti-adduction recess 8 of globally rectangular shapepositioned along its outer edge and extending from the plantar arch asfar as the cushion area of the small toe, a third recess calledanti-varus or anti-supination recess 9 also of globally rectangularshape positioned along the outer edge of the insole and extending fromthe cuboid as far as the second anti-adduction recess 8, and a finalrecess called anti-valgus or anti-pronation recess 10 of semi-dome shapepositioned along the inner edge of the insole under the plantar arch. Inthe same manner as previously, the walls of the anti-adduction 8,anti-varus 9 and anti-valgus 10 recesses are inclined inwardly towardsthe inside of said recesses 8, 9 and 10 from their bottom part as far astheir respective edges so as to form a lip 15 on the edge of saidrecesses 8, 9 and 10. Each of the adduction 8, anti-varus 9 andanti-valgus 10 recesses is designed to house a corresponding correctiveelement for adduction 12, anti-varus 13 and anti-valgus 14 successivelyshown in FIGS. 6 a, 6 b, 7 a, 7 b and 8 a, 8 b; the adduction 12 andanti-varus 13 corrective elements are of globally rectangular shape andthe anti-valgus corrective element 14 is of semi-domed shape. Each ofthese corrective elements is flat and made in a more rigid and densermaterial than the insole; these elements also comprise on theirperiphery a chamfer 16 to ensure their locking in position within theirrespective recesses.

According to one variant of embodiment of the insole of the invention,each of the corrective elements 11,12, 13 and 14 on their upper surface,i.e. the surface bearing upon the bottom of the recess, comprise twolugs 17 shown as dotted lines in FIGS. 5 a to 8 a and 5 b to 8 b, ableto cooperate with two corresponding holes 18 positioned at the bottom ofrecesses 7, 8, 9 and 10; these corrective elements 11,12, 13 and 14 donot have a chamfer 16 and recesses 7, 8, 9 and 10 do not have a lip 15.

Evidently, the upper surface of the corrective elements may comprise anytype of male of female attachment member able to cooperate with arespective male or female member positioned at the bottom of the recessto achieve attachment of the removable element within the recess,without departing from the scope of the invention.

Accessorily, with reference to FIG. 9, the insole on its under surface,comprises a furrow 19 of serpentine shape extending substantially fromthe forefoot as far as the heel and which comprises regularly distancedholes 20 leading to the upper surface of the insole. Furrow 19 comprisesa small secondary branch 21 also provided with holes 20 and whichextends substantially parallel to the median longitudinal axis of theinsole under the plantar arch. It will be noted that this furrow 19makes it possible to evacuate perspiration towards the bottom of shoeduring intensive sports practice for example.

Also, the heel and forefoot of the insole advantageously have analveolar structure, preferably honeycombed, to provide increasedcomfort. Since the foot's bearing intensity is greater in theposterior-external heel area, in the metatarsal head area and in thecushion area under the great toe when taking a step, the insole isprovided in a posterior-external heel area 22 and/or metatarsal area 23and/or cushion area under the great toe 24, with alveoli of smaller sizethan the alveoli in the remainder of the insole.

It will be noted that the height of the profiled elements positioned onthe upper surface of the insole does not exceed a few millimetres sothat the final insole is of average size suitable for all feet. Also ithas been seen that, in surprising manner, the height or depth of therecesses positioned on the undersurface of the insole and of theremovable elements arranged in at least one of the recesses does notexceed a few millimetres whilst providing proper correction of anabduction, adduction, varus and/or valgus.

Also, the removable corrective elements may be maintained in therecesses positioned on the undersurface of the insole by any appropriatemeans such as adhesive means or “Velcro” (registered trademark) withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

Finally, the orthopedic insole of the invention may evidently be made inany common rigid material that is slightly resilient either by moldingor modeling. The aforesaid examples are also evidently only particularillustrations which are in no way restrictive in respect of the areas ofapplication of the invention.

1. Modular proprioreceptive orthopedic insole to re-establish and/orpreserve the correct dynamics of walking or running, said insole beingmade in an elastic material, characterized in that firstly on its uppersurface it comprises means (1) for activating the articular receptorslocated between the talus and the calcaneus as soon as a step ishabitually initiated by the heel, and means (3,4,5) for guiding the footwhen it becomes engaged on the physiological axis of walking, andsecondly on its undersurface it comprises at least one removablecorrective element (11,12,13,14) able to provide abduction or adductionfor respective deficient or excessive step initiation, and/or is able tocorrect a varus and/or valgus.
 2. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1,characterized in that on its undersurface the insole comprises at leastone recess (7,8,9,10) positioned along the inner and/or outer edge ofsaid insole in which the removable corrective element (11 to 14) can bepositioned that is made in a more rigid material than the insolematerial and whose shape corresponds to the shape of the recess (7 to10).
 3. Orthopedic insole as in claim 2 characterized in that thesection of the recess (7 to 10) increases from the inner or outer edgeof the insole in the direction of the median part of the insole over ashort distance and then decreases.
 4. Orthopedic insole as in claim 2,characterized in that the wall of the recess (7 to 10) is inclinedinwardly towards the inside of said recess from the bottom part as faras its edge to form a lip (15) on the edge of the recess (7 to 10), andin that the removable element (11 to 14) on its periphery comprises achamfer (16) so that the lip (15) holds the removable element inposition within the recess (7 to 10), said element being inserted in therecess by elastic deformation of the lip (15).
 5. Orthopedic insole asin claim 2, characterized in that the removable element (11 to 14) onone of its surfaces comprises a male attachment member (17) able tocooperate with a female member (18) positioned at the bottom of therecess (7 to 10) to achieve attachment of the removable element withinthe recess.
 6. Orthopedic insole as in claim 2, characterized in that itcomprises an anti-abduction recess (7) positioned along the inner edgeof the insole and extending from the plantar arch as far as the greattoe.
 7. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1, characterized in that itcomprises an anti-adduction recess (8) positioned along the outer edgeof the insole and extending from the plantar arch as far as the cushionarea of the small toe.
 8. Orthopedic insole as in claim 2, characterizedin that it comprises an anti-valgus or anti-pronation recess (10)positioned along the inner edge of the insole under the plantar arch. 9.Orthopedic insole as in claim 2, characterized in that it comprises ananti-varus or anti-supination recess (9) positioned along the outer edgeof the insole and extending from the cuboid as far as the secondanti-adduction recess (8).
 10. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1,characterized in that on its upper surface it is provided with asub-calcaneus longitudinal profiled channel, or console (1), whosethickness increases from the heel as far as an area locatedsubstantially perpendicular to the neck of the talus.
 11. Orthopedicinsole as in claim 10, characterized in that on its upper surface itcomprises a sub-scaphoid profiled element (3) of substantiallysemi-domed shape extending the console (1) towards the inside of thefoot.
 12. Orthopedic insole as in claim 10, characterized in that on itsupper surface it comprises a sub-cuboid element (4) positioned on theouter side of the sub-scaphoid element (3) and in the shape of a kidneybean, having its convexity facing backwardly at approximately 45° to themedian longitudinal axis of the insole.
 13. Orthopedic insole as inclaim 11, characterized in that on its upper surface it comprisesmediotarsal axial means (5) of obovate shape widening forwardly andending just in front of the metatarsal heads so as to distribute bearingunder the metatarsal regions.
 14. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1,characterized in that on its undersurface it comprises a furrow (19) ofserpentine shape extending substantially from the flat of the foot asfar as the heel and which comprises regularly distanced holes (20)leading to the upper surface of the insole so as to allow the evacuationof perspiration.
 15. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1, characterized inthat the heel and the forefoot of the insole have an alveolar structure.16. Orthopedic insole as in claim 15, characterized in that the alveolarstructure consists of a honeycomb structure.
 17. Orthopedic insole as inclaim 15, characterized in that in a posterior-external heel area and/ormetatarsal head area (23) and/or in a cushion area under the great toe(24) it comprises alveoli of smaller size than the alveoli in theremainder of the insole.
 18. Orthopedic insole as in claim 1,characterized in that the height or depth of the profiled elements(1,3,4,5) positioned on the upper surface of the insole, of the recesses(7 to 10) positioned on the undersurface of said insole, and of theremovable elements (11 to 14) arranged in at least one of the recesses,does not exceed a few millimetres.
 19. Orthopedic insole as in claim 3,characterized in that the wall of the recess (7 to 10) is inclinedinwardly towards the inside of said recess from the bottom part as faras its edge to form a lip (15) on the edge of the recess (7 to 10), andin that the removable element (11 to 14) on its periphery comprises achamfer (16) so that the lip (15) holds the removable element inposition within the recess (7 to 10), said element being inserted in therecess by elastic deformation of the lip (15).
 20. Orthopedic insole asin claim 3, characterized in that the removable element (11 to 14) onone of its surfaces comprises a male attachment member (17) able tocooperate with a female member (18) positioned at the bottom of therecess (7 to 10) to achieve attachment of the removable element withinthe recess.